by Jason Byassee, May 28, 2014
Jason Byassee
May is Teacher Appreciation month. It is a good time to reach back out to teachers who influenced and blessed and loved us well. It is also a good time for our church to think about the God-given goodness of the vocation of teaching. Each week in May we’ll interview one of our teachers about their work and the ways they find God in it. I hope we’ll all learn more about the richness of the body of Christ of which we are all a part.
Anna Mills Welsh
What got you into teaching?
I have always loved children. When I was in high school, I babysat for a family with four children all under the age of five. It was a joy to watch them grow and learn each day. I learned quickly that teaching would be a fun and rewarding profession
Tell me about a teacher you admire.
We moved eight times growing up. Entering a new school at times could be a challenge. But I was blessed with wonderful teachers that helped me with my adjustment. When I moved from California to Minnesota it was difficult, but my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Hawkins, wrote me letters every few months to check in on me. I was always thrilled to see a letter in the mail from her. She went above and beyond to show me love and encouragement. I will never forget her.
How does your faith weigh into your work as a teacher?
I used to teach preschool at a church in Asheville. One of my favorite songs that we taught the children was “Fruits of the Spirit” (“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control”). I try to remember that song as I teach my students. These are all important qualities to have throughout life. Each morning as I prepare for school I try to remember to love the students as a Christian would love them.
Some days are difficult, I confess, but I try to exhibit a positive attitude for the students. I try to encourage and love the students. Each student has baggage that she or he carries into the classroom each morning. It may be that the parents argued the night before, lack of food at the house, a fight with a sibling, a sick family member . . . all these weigh on the children as much as they do on the adults.
I want to remember that when I hug or encourage, it may be the only positive action of love that they get that day. I give out silly cheers (roller coaster cheer, firecracker, superstar) when I see positive behaviors. The look on the child’s face is so priceless as they beam with pride. That is the greatest reward of teaching!
Tell me about a time when God surprised you with the goodness of your vocation.
I was a first grade teacher in a school in Atlanta that was 99% African American. I was the minority in the school. It was at that school that I learned a lot about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What an amazing example of how a Christian should act and treat others.
My students taught me to look at the content of character and not the color of skin. I would often get pictures that the children had drawn of me. I would have brown skin and black hair. Well, I have light skin, freckles, and red hair. The students saw me as one of their own. We were a family. I know that God placed me in that setting to learn about looking at people from the inside. I now teach children from all different backgrounds. Some are affluent, some are living in poverty, some have special needs, some don’t speak English. But I try to teach them that we are all equal and can become a family that cares for one another.
Anna Mills Welsh has been a teacher for 16 years and is now a kindergarten teacher at Hardin Park School.